Aug. 5, 2008
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Ohio Performance Assessment
The Ohio Performance Assessment Pilot Conference will be held on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2008, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Capitol Theatre, Riffe Center, in Columbus. The conference will announce the beginning of the Ohio Performance Assessment Pilot Project and inform interested districts on how to apply to qualify for professional development and other resources and participate in the piloting of this new generation of assessments for Ohio’s high schools. Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond of Stanford University will provide the conference’s keynote address, speaking on performance-based assessments in a 21st century learning climate. ODE and the Educational Service Center of Franklin County encourage attendance of educators and others interested in learning about how they can help create supplements to traditional paper-pencil tests as part of the next generation of Ohio’s assessment system.
Critical application dates are:
• August 18, 2008 – Applications Released
• September 17, 2008 – Performance Assessment Conference
• October 22, 2008 – Applications Due
• December 3, 2008 – Notification of Selected Applicants
For more information, contact Chris Downey at ODE at (614) 387-2201.
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Thinkfinity.org
Thinkfinity.org is a comprehensive Web site that delivers free online resources to advance student achievement, including: top quality, standards-based, K-12 lesson plans; student materials; interactive tools; connections to educational Web sites; research-based models and courses ; and metrics for literacy instruction. Thinkfinity.org gives teachers, instructors and paretns the tools needed to increase student performance and create lifelong learners of tomorrow.
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From the Auditor's office
Ohio Auditor of the State Mary Taylor will host Community School Training in two regional locations: at the University of Akron on Aug. 15, 2008; and at the Kings Island Resort Center in Mason on Aug. 19, 2008.
One of the breakout sessions will outline the role of community school sponsors throughout the entire audit process. The presentation will also include a discussion about all meetings auditors are required to have with sponsors during the audit process as required by certain auditing standards.
Register today to ensure you are ready for your next financial audit. There is a $25 per person charge and 7.5 CPE hours are available.
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Contact Us
Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools
33 N. Third Street,
Suite 600
Office: (614) 744-2266
Fax: (614) 744-2255
www.oapcs.org
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Notes from the president of the OAPCS
No Lazy Days of Summer at OAPCS
Summer afforded us the window of opportunity to relocate to our new and larger offices at 33 North Third Street, Suite 600, in the historic Union Telephone Building. The office is between Gay and Broad Streets on Third, across the street from the Renaissance Hotel. We now have the space for larger conferences and workshops. Charter school community members who may be interested in a Columbus office presence should contact Crystal Craig. We have space that can be sublet and would welcome other charter school residents in the neighborhood. We need your pictures for our new offices and our publications and Web site! Send us high-resolution pictures of your school, your students and parents (especially engaged in learning opportunities) to Kelly Woodard-Doty. Our newly designed Web site was launched in July, adding greater functionality and exclusive sections for our members. A zip code search for all charters in Ohio is one example, helping parents make the right school choices for their children. Our annual conference program is practically complete thanks to conference coordinators Catherine West and Kelly Woodard-Doty, project manager Becky Leija, and the planning committee led by Perry White of Citizens' Academy. It’s a rich collection of useful programming devoid of fluff. Stay tuned and alert; online registration will commence the second week in August.
The Governor’s Forums on Education reform are an important opportunity for the charter school community to provide vital input. The OAPCS has been instrumental in organizing charter audience participation but online participation including questions is open to all. Our voice is a critical part of these forums.
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Charter School Growth Fund Seeking Applicants
The Charter School Growth Fund (CSGF) is now seeking applicants for its 2009 Planning Cohort. CSGF is a social venture investor that provides proven education entrepreneurs with the financial resources and strategic expertise to support the development of self-sufficient, scalable, networks of high-performing schools. Qualified applicants will be able to demonstrate that they have run one or more exemplary school(s), sustained strong achievement gains with underserved youth, and possess the dedication to expand a network of schools in their target communities. Applicants will be evaluated on a rolling basis beginning on July 29, 2008. Applicants looking to participate in the 2009 Business Planning Program must submit their data by Sept. 5, 2008.
EPIC Grant Opportunity
The New Leaders for New School’s Effective Practice Incentive Community (EPIC) initiative rewards educators in high-gain charter schools willing to identify and document their effective practices. This May, Toledo School for the Arts was named as one of the 22 charter schools sharing in over $1.1 million grant dollars. The OAPCS also extends its congratulations to Citizens’ Academy and Hamilton County Math and Science Academy for participating in the pilot. Don’t miss this opportunity to recognize and reward your staff and increase your visibility nationally!
EPIC is seeking additional charters to participate. To join, your school must: 1) have 30% or more of your students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, 2) be an LEA or have a letter of permission from your LEA, 3) submit state test score data and demographic data for ALL students in math and reading/language arts for the 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 school years for elementary and middle schools, or 2007–08 OGT data and 8th grade OAT scores for high schools (note: test results from previous schools are allowable), 4) have at least 15 students with complete data (state test results, demographics), and 5) be willing to share your effective practices.
All participating charter schools will receive access to an online platform with rich video and text-based case studies of effective practices from award-winning schools nationwide. This one-of-a-kind platform will provide comprehensive, polished professional development modules tailored to school administrators. Award-winning schools, selected based on a value-added model of student gains, will have their practices documented by a team of professionals. In addition, schools will receive a detailed report on their performance in the value-added model following the award announcement.
A “What is EPIC?” orientation conference call will be held Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2008, 7 pm EST to explain the grant process. If your school would like to join in this conference call, please RSVP by emailing charterEPIC@nlns.org. If you are unable to call in, but would like more information, please contact the EPIC staff for program materials.
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Programming in final stages
 As mentioned in an earlier article, planning for the OAPCS conference is well underway and registration is scheduled to open soon. Breakout sessions are being finalized, exhibitors are registering and sponsorship opportunities are dwindling.
Presenters for the breakout sessions are primarily peer-led; however, the conference planning committee was excited to see the number of breakout session proposals that came from individuals and companies outside the charter school community.
One of our presenters selected, Belay Security Services, would like some additional information from charter school leaders to ensure they are as prepared as possible to address security issues. Please take part in this brief survey to help this presenter, and the outside community in better understanding some challenges you face.
Keep an eye out for additional information coming in your mailbox, inbox and on your fax machine announcing additional details about the first state-wide charter school conference since 2005 - the OAPCS Annual Conference on Oct. 14 and 15 at the Crowne Plaza Columbus - North.
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August ODE EMIS Presentation
On August 11, 2008, from 9:00am – 3:00pm, ODE EMIS staff will be presenting two sessions:
- Morning - FY09 Changes – significant FY09 changes and additional information related to the new FS, FD and FN records (this is not a repeat of the spring regional meetings presented by ODE EMIS)
- Afternoon – EMIS 101 – geared more for the new EMIS Coordinator
The presentations will take place in Columbus at the Riffe Center at the intersection of High and State streets. Registration will start at 8:30am (there is no pre-registration). Handouts will only be provided from the ODE EMIS Web site and will be available by noon on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2008.
2007-2008 Community School Annual Report Guidance
Community school annual reports are due to sponsors and parents on or before Oct. 31, 2008. Each report must include a description of:
- the performance standards by which the success of the school was evaluate sponsor during the 2007-2008 school year (i.e. the contractually stated academic goals including performance on statewide achievement and graduation tests);
- the method of measurement that was used by the sponsor to determine progress toward those goals during the 2007-2008 school year;
- the school's activities toward and progress in meeting those contractually stated academic goals during the 2007-2008 school year; and
- the school's financial status during the 2007-2008 school year.
The school options enrollment system replaces CSADM
Effective with the FY2009 updates, the CSADM will be updated and renamed the School Options Enrollment System (SOES). For community schools, this change will be very minor - a new color scheme and a selection screen after first logging in to enter the community school section of the system. These changes allow ODE to accommodate enrollment data for STEM schools and Department of Youth Services schools. Contact Jason Wall at (614) 728-2164 with questions.
Parent involvement the topic of focus groups
The ODE Office of Family and Community Engagement is partnering with the National Center for Parents to conduct focus groups with public school and community school administrators, teachers, early childhood education providers and families to assess parent-involvement needs throughout Ohio. Focus group data will be used to inform ODE's biennial parent involvement plan and to develop strategies, programs and services that support educators' efforts to increase parent involvement.
Focus groups will be scheduled for administrators and early childhood education providers in August and for teachers an families in September and October. If you are interested in participating in the community school administrator or teacher focus groups or are willing to recruit parents, please contact Jennifer Vargo at (614) 995-0231.
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An unusual and welcome partnership publicly announced today is the new proposed union contract for the District of Columbia. The clearly open-minded and change-oriented George Parker, president of the Washington Teachers Union, joined with DC Schools' Chancellor Michelle Rhee to offer the basic tenets of an agreement which would not only give all teachers a raise, but allow teachers to opt into a new pay-for-performance agreement that could net them nearly double their current salary. Teachers can opt to trade seniority for the right to vie for dramatically higher pay and bonuses. Funds to pay for dramatic bonuses and other compensation increases would come from both new appropriations and contributions from national and local foundations. An editorial in the Washington Post cautions opponents of the proposed contract, saying "They should not squander a unique opportunity for teachers and the students they serve," making sure to drive home the point that "the real winners would be the students." As they should be.
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